California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required intelligent speed assistance (ISA) in all vehicles in the state starting in 2030. 

If signed, SB961 would have made California the first state to require ISA in vehicles. It is a required technology on vehicles in Europe since July. 

“While I appreciate the intent to improve traffic safety, this bill presents several challenges,” Newsom said in veto message. “Federal law, as implemented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), already regulates vehicle safety standards, and adding California-specific requirements would create a patchwork of regulations that undermines this longstanding federal framework. NHTSA is also actively evaluating intelligent speed assistance systems, and imposing state-level mandates at this time risks disrupting these ongoing federal assessments.”

The bill required every passenger vehicle, motortruck, and bus manufactured, sold as new, or leased in the state to be equipped with “passive” ISA, the bill text says. 

ISA is defined in the bill as an integrated vehicle system that determines the speed limit on the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling. The bill adds it utilizes a brief, one-time visual and audio signal to alert drivers each time they exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. 

The Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) said in a release that it applauds the governor for his decision. 

“Gov. Newsom’s veto of SB 961 demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that California’s vehicle safety policies are aligned with federal law, regulations, and policy,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA’s president and CEO, in the release. “A patchwork of conflicting state regulations would have harmed consumers and the automotive industry, potentially stifling innovation and limiting choice.”

Spagnola said SEMA is in favor of data-driven approaches to improve road safety. 

“NHTSA is already actively evaluating speed assistance technology, and it is critical that the federal agency be allowed to continue its work on this issue,” Spagnola said. 

The California Chamber of Commerce also opposed the bill, saying the regulation should be left to the federal government, according to the AP. 

“The legislation would have likely impacted all new car sales in the U.S. since the California market is so large that car manufacturers would likely just make all of their vehicles comply,” the AP article says. “California often throws that weight around to influence national and even international policy. The state has set its own emission standards for cars for decades, rules that more than a dozen other states have also adopted. And when California announced it would eventually ban the sale of new gas-powered cars, major automakers soon followed with their own announcement to phase out fossil-fuel vehicles.”

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